Letters to the Editor

Humane Society in desperate need

I'm writing to ask you to help save the Humane Society of North Central Arkansas by making a generous donation to the Society if you possibly can.

The Humane Society of North Central Arkansas has served Baxter County for over 35 years, but as treasurer, I must report that contributions have plunged drastically during the current recession and we're suffering the worst financial crisis in our history.

As a result, earlier this fall the board of directors reluctantly voted to cut back shelter operations by 25 percent and voted to cut back an additional 25 percent at the beginning of December unless we receive a significant influx of cash. In real terms, this means that by Dec. 1 the number of dogs and cats the Humane Society will be able to shelter and place in homes will be cut in half. Even worse, unless donations improve, we face the very real possibility of having to shut down all operations in the near future. If this happens, it will be a blow not only to the lost, neglected, and abused animals of our county but to the countless people who depend on our services.

Maybe some of you genuinely love animals and care about animal welfare but have been waiting for the rich guy down the street to make a donation. Well, we've got news for you: The rich guy isn't doing it. We need your help, and we need it now. Any donation big or small will be greatly appreciated and, of course, is tax deductible.

To contribute using Visa, MasterCard or debit card, phone us at 424-9221, or contributions can be mailed to: Humane Society of North Central Arkansas, 2656 Hwy. 201 North, Mountain Home, AR 72653.

If you have never visited the Humane Society, please stop by and let us give you a tour. We're always looking for new members, and we believe that once you see the great work our staff and volunteers are doing, you'll want to donate as much as you can.

Evaluate other options for sheriff's office

From Cory Welch,

Mountain Home:

Due to the growing inmate population and the safety issues that the sheriff's department faced with being inadequately staffed, Sheriff John Montgomery went to the quorum court in 2007 for the approval to hire four more jailers. The positions were desperately needed because at the time you had two jailers per shift; one jailer running the control tower, which consists of entering warrants, answering phones, controlling the doors and monitoring the cameras, and the other jailer dealing with all of the inmates directly by their self; the jailer working floor is in charge of inmate bookings, medication disbursements, visitation, getting inmates ready for court or any appointments, handling any altercations within the jail and anything else that may arise.

The quorum court recognized the desperate need for more jailers and approved the four requested positions. After the approval of these positions, Sheriff Montgomery moved the sheriff's department dispatch from the 911 dispatch center to the jail and filled the four jailer positions with dispatchers. So now, the sheriff's office has four dispatchers coming out of the sheriff's office budget instead of the four jailers Sheriff Montgomery misled the quorum court into approving.

Would the jail be staffed more adequately today if the sheriff's department's dispatch still was being handled by the 911 dispatch center and out of the county emergency management budget instead of the sheriff's department's budget?

The 911 dispatch center still has two dispatchers per shift; why doesn't Sheriff Montgomery have 911 dispatch handle the sheriff's department's dispatch again? I think centralized dispatch is the safest and most efficient method available anyway.

Even though I don't agree with everything Sheriff Montgomery has done, he has done a lot of good for the sheriff's department and Baxter County. I supported the jail tax because it is needed and I am pro-law enforcement, but I think before raising the county millage rate other options are available and should be evaluated closely. I would like to see the opinions on this matter from Sheriff Montgomery and from the citizens of Baxter County.

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Letters to the Editor

From John G. Prentiss, Treasurer, Humane Society of North Central Arkansas: I'm writing to ask you to help save the Humane Society of North Central Arkansas by making a generous donation to the